This hill may not look like much in a picture, but believe me, if you are out jogging in this neighborhood you dread seeing it on your horizon. It’s a backbreaker. So I went for a run yesterday. I don’t run or workout everyday, but I stay in shape. I know (and so do you) that we should all exercise, that it is good for you, that it wards off disease and that you will live longer – and function more effectively – if you do. You’ll be a better person if you exercise. You will bring greater joy and happiness to your life if you exercise. Your health insurance will be cheaper if you exercise. Your body works better and your mind works better. You’ll be more energized and you’ll conquer the world! I know this. I knew it was going to be tough, but hey, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” Right? I took off in my LiveStrong gear and my Nike shoes listening to my iPod... I was prepared mentally, physically and emotionally. None of that mattered when I got to this hill.
You see, I knew that I should stay the course. I knew the benefits of doing so and I knew that I would feel very good about myself when I finished my run. But when I got to this hill, I was SO TIRED. My legs were burning. My lungs felt like they were going to explode. My heart was racing (I would have preferred for my heart to burn and my legs to race, but alas...). I felt like I might throw up. I thought about quitting. I thought SERIOUSLY about quitting. About a third of the way up the hill, I almost stopped. I even began to negotiate with myself. Before I left I had determined to run the whole way. But now I thought, “You have probably run at least three miles already (justification based on the great work I had already accomplished). Just chill out and walk (you would still be doing something beneficial, who could argue with that?). The rest of the way can be your cool down phase (you need that anyway). You can run further tomorrow or the next time (you can get up super early tomorrow and do it). It’ll probably be easier then (you’ll be even more prepared!).” But I didn’t quit. And the reason I didn’t quit is because I WAS GOING UPHILL. I determined that I would stick it out through the toughest part of my run, climbing this hill, and once I got past the hardest part and was cruising downhill, then if I still felt like quitting I would quit. I think you can probably guess the end of the story now. I barely made it up that hill. I was probably moving no faster than a slow jog near the top, but once I got on flat terrain I began to recover. And then the road turned down the hill and I was running again (maybe even faster than before?). I was really tired. But I was smiling. And I felt great! What was I thinking back there? This is great. That would have been silly to quit... I finished the run. I got the benefits. And I learned a lesson that now I will try to apply as a principle in my life from now on: Don’t quit when the going is hard. That’s when quitters quit precisely because it is hard. Just because something gets difficult doesn’t mean you should quit. Consider waiting and working until things turn around and then reevaluate the situation. You’ll know be more likely to know then whether it is the right thing to do or whether you just felt like quitting because it was hard. brian AUDIA
President and CEO
Surgance, Inc.
Uncommon Partners. Common Ground. Remarkable Results.
www.surgance.com <http://www.surgance.com/>
702.468.4637 cell
702.309.SURG (7874) office
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